Chapter 99 Fake Death
It turns out that the New Year is approaching. The festive atmosphere of the lantern festival has just passed, and now preparations are underway to hang up red lanterns and "Fu" (good fortune) knots.
In the depths of winter, the wind howled and blew. Su Yunyu swept past the stunned passersby and ran wildly in an unknown direction. Suddenly, he felt a chill brush past his ear. He stopped and looked up to see that it was snowing lightly.
Despite his cultivation level making him immune to heat and cold, Su Yunyu still felt a bit cold at this moment. Away from the crowd, the rustling sound of snow became clearer. He closed his eyes and listened for a while, letting the snow melt on his eyelashes.
What a bastard...
He began to hate Xiao Shuying. Just yesterday, when she solemnly declared to Heaven and Earth that they would grow old together forever, she said today that she was going to die and drove him away.
111, slow to react, was practically celebrating in its mind's eye:
[I never expected that such a disastrous turn of events could be salvaged. Host, we can finally be free!]
As it spoke, it burst into maniacal laughter, its electronic voice giving Su Yunyu a splitting headache. Her mind was in turmoil, and she was incredibly irritated. She simply told 111 to shut up.
"Stop talking, I'm already annoyed."
111 let out a strange "Eh":
[What's wrong with you? You used to always be working hard for the missions, why are you so listless now that you're about to succeed?]
Su Yunyu felt stifled, unable to come to a conclusion. He felt a sense of emptiness, and although he could analyze it further, he was too cowardly and subconsciously wanted to escape.
"Perhaps..." Su Yunyu stammered, trying to find a reason to convince herself:
"Maybe they still can't quite believe it. I need to find a place to stay for a few days and see."
The relief of finally being free was not absent. Su Yunyu used to long for a short period of time in this world that belonged only to himself. He wanted to travel across the Nine Provinces and watch the clouds rise and fall.
Now that such an opportunity was within reach, Su Yunyu, though not very enthusiastic, did not intend to give it up. She wandered aimlessly for a while, and when she saw the streets bustling again, she disguised herself, took out a bag of high-grade spirit stones, and bought a large courtyard house from a seller.
This courtyard is located at the foot of Yuling Mountain. In spring, you can see wildflowers in full bloom, and in autumn, you can see fallen petals. But now it is winter, and the dense branches are bare. You can vaguely see the frozen lake surface through the mottled branches.
The housekeeper said that the courtyard faced south and had excellent sunlight. Su Yunyu found a deck chair and placed it in the courtyard. After lying down, she tried to appreciate the season with its cool weather and warm sunshine.
He wanted to take a nap, but the chirping of birds startled him. The cold wind chased them away, their wings rustling as they suddenly flew off. Su Yunyu opened his eyes, glanced at the bare branches, and felt that he didn't like the yard at all; even the birds couldn't stay there.
Surrounded by emptiness, with the sky and earth seemingly vast and distant, Su Yunyu rolled over in the recliner, watching the wind swirl and rustle, its sound stealing away life, burying it little by little, turning it into cold, inorganic matter...
He thought of the Northern Underworld Palace, of the Tianxuan Sect, of the passionate entanglement under the deep red candles and curtains last night, of the trace of blood on Xiao Shuying's lips—all of these seemed to be blown away by the wind, blown to the endless horizon.
"..." Su Yunyu felt a chill again. He got up, unable to lie still any longer, and sighed as he said to 111:
"How about we watch Tom and Jerry? I'm really bored right now."
[Not enough energy] 111 is a little aggrieved:
[Yesterday you asked me to give the jade pendant to Feng Mingye, so my energy is depleted again.]
Jade pendant...
Su Yunyu sighed again. If nothing unexpected happens, even if Feng Mingye finds the spiritual energy by then, he will have already left this world.
What would the world be like after he left? Would it continue or be permanently interrupted? Su Yunyu didn't like either outcome. He considered having Li Qingyuan write a perfect ending after he returned.
The ending... tens of thousands of words to conclude the cycle of a world. Su Yunyu suddenly stood up, feeling bored and ironic, and decided to take a stroll in the bustling city.
The air was filled with the aroma of fried pastries, incense, candles, and firecrackers. With New Year's Day approaching, gatherings were happening one after another. Su Yunyu stared at the roast duck for a while.
He remembered that Xiao Shuying had left him a roast duck a long time ago, but he had already secretly eaten it. Although he was very tempted, he declined it for the sake of his image. Now it seemed that he could eat to his heart's content.
Su Yunyu only bought a candied hawthorn and went home. She spent several days relaxing in the courtyard, sleeping and eating. She was awakened by the sound of firecrackers when she was drowsy under the covers.
At first, I was a little confused, but when I opened the window and saw the continuous string of firecrackers, I belatedly realized that today was New Year's Day.
Smelling the lively atmosphere in the air, Su Yunyu sniffed, feeling a little like crying. He ran to the bustling city again, hoping to find some fun and entertainment.
Sitting at the wonton stall, the hot wontons were steaming. Su Yunyu blew on them to cool them down and took a bite when she heard whispers coming from the next table:
Have you heard about the grand ceremony for Daoist couples held by the number one sect in the world a while ago?
"We're not cultivators, we've never heard of such a thing, so what?"
"It's nothing, I just heard that a joyous occasion is about to turn into a tragedy. It seems that the person who was rumored to be very powerful is nearing the end!"
Su Yunyu shivered as the wontons scalded him. The hot broth rolled down his throat and into his body, burning him until he trembled. He felt as if he were immersed in water and couldn't hear the sounds around him.
What does this mean? Is Xiao Shuying really going to die?
He trembled uncontrollably. When he put down the soup spoon, it made a loud clatter against the bowl. His heart jolted, and he abruptly stood up and looked around at the world.
People around him stared at him because of his strange behavior, but Su Yunyu didn't care. He only felt that the world was fading and turning into black and white, and everyone's face was melting away. It was such a strange world. The familiar ones were all running away, and he was the only one who existed like a wandering ghost.
No, this shouldn't be happening. He lowered his eyes and slowly walked onto the street, initially without direction, but his pace quickened unconsciously. Then, he looked ahead and suddenly started running—
The cold wind brushed against his face, but Su Yunyu was perfectly clear-headed. He had to go find Xiao Shuying.
It felt like a red-hot pair of scissors was constantly churning inside his heart. Everything was falling behind him, the sky was shaking overhead, and the earth was collapsing beneath his feet. Su Yunyu finally understood: he couldn't let go of Xiao Shuying.
She couldn't bear to watch him die, and she couldn't accept leaving his side. They had once become Daoist partners and vowed to grow old together forever. Su Yunyu thought there was nothing wrong with that.
He still remembered the location of Xiao Shuying's mansion. He was so anxious that he forgot to use his cultivation. He ran around like an ordinary person for a long time until he was panting and finally arrived at the place he had left.
After easily passing through the barrier with his spiritual energy, Su Yunyu found the main house by the bamboo forest. Just as he was about to push open the door, he felt a bit apprehensive about returning home. The past few days felt like a lifetime had passed, and he couldn't even face Xiao Shuying with a clear conscience.
Su Yunyu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then firmly pushed open the door. The furnishings inside were still the same, and the window paper and red knots that had been pasted up when they became Daoist partners were still there. For some reason, his nose tingled and his heart felt heavy.
There was no one in the main hall, so I walked a few more steps into the study. After lifting the beaded curtain, I saw a figure with his back to me, looking at something hanging on the wall. He was dressed in black as before, but now he had a bleak and lifeless air about him.
Unbeknownst to him, Su Yunyu tiptoed closer, and just as he seemed to notice, she suddenly lunged forward and hugged his waist, resting her head against his back. She told herself to calm down, but her words trembled as she spoke:
"How are you? I..." he stammered.
"I'd like to see you..."
After saying that, the hand holding Xiao Shuying unconsciously curled up slightly, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with his own affectionate posture, but he did not regret doing so.
Silence followed after she finished speaking. Xiao Shuying didn't move either. Su Yunyu became uneasy, worried that things had become distant, and hesitated, wanting to withdraw her hand.
"You don't like this, do you? Then I..."
Before he could finish speaking, and just as he was about to let go, Xiao Shuying turned around without a word and pulled him into her arms. The unexpected collision caused Su Yunyu's forehead to hit his chin, which hurt a little, but he carefully felt it, letting those hands hold his waist tightly.
Xiao Shuying's eyes were slightly moist, and her tone was bitter:
Why did Master come back?
“I…” Su Yunyu stammered.
Why did I come back? When Xiao Shuying said that his days were numbered, I felt as if I had stepped off a cliff in a dream. On New Year's Day, when thousands of homes were lit up with lights, fireworks, and firecrackers, I felt like I was the only fish drowning in this boundless river.
The wind flowed quietly. Su Yunyu stared blankly at his dark clothes, recalling the pleasant and unpleasant past, or perhaps the existence that was about to end. Her eyes reddened, and she choked up involuntarily.
"I don't want you to die..."
A soft sigh escaped his ear, and Xiao Shuying kissed away the tears that rolled down his cheeks. Su Yunyu looked at him with blurry, tearful eyes until his eyelashes were gently kissed. He heard Xiao Shuying say:
"Master, I will not die."
For a moment, Su Yunyu was completely blank. First, she was pleasantly surprised as her heart resumed beating, but then she felt fooled, as her dejected state over the past few days had become laughable.
He immediately tried to break free from Xiao Shuying's embrace, his eyes red from crying, and demanded in a shrill voice:
"What do you mean? What do you mean you won't die? You're lying to me."
“No,” Xiao Shuying pursed his lips, his eyes filled with countless emotions as he carefully looked at Su Yunyu. Even though it had only been a few days since they last met, he missed her so much.
Xiao Shuying forcefully hugged Su Yunyu even tighter, speaking to him word by word:
"If Master hadn't come back to see me, I would have kept my promise and perished so that Master could return. But Master has come back to see me now, and Master clearly loves me too. How can I die like this?"
Su Yunyu's body was still trembling slightly from choking back sobs. He blinked rapidly, his eyes stinging with tears. His mind was a jumbled mess; he didn't know whether to be happy that Xiao Shuying was alright or angry that Xiao Shuying had schemed against him. Finally, he retorted in a lukewarm tone:
"I don't like you."
Xiao Shuying looked at him with a mysterious gaze, making Su Yunyu shrink back. Only then did he smile, his tone firm:
"My master likes me."
"..."
Su Yunyu wiped the corner of her eye and retorted in a muffled voice:
I hate you.
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Author's Note: This chapter features a lot of psychological description, mainly to elaborate on the transformation [doge emoji].
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